NCP: Sudan referendum on track to non-recognition

Intimidation by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement threatens to keep the referendum from being free and fair, say northern ruling party officials. They warn that the January poll on unity or separation of South Sudan would not be recognized by the Sudanese government, if the intimidation continues.Registration centres opened on 15 November. In South Sudan, the centres have experienced steady to high levels of turn-out, whereas in the north they have been less busy. Southerners in the North, by some estimates at least a million of them, may register at centres there or travel to the South to do so.

 Mandour Al Mahdi, deputy head of the National Congress Party (NCP), said that SPLM is intimidating southerners residing in Khartoum not to register, a state-run news agency on late Saturday quoted him as saying. He reasoned that this could give cause for NCP not to recognize the outcome of the referendum.

Another NCP leader, Rabie Abdelati, told Reuters: “The SPLM is using tools to pressure and threaten and terrorise people not to register and this means … that the whole referendum will not be free and fair and transparent."

"If this behaviour continues by the SPLM … this will not lead to an atmosphere conducive to holding the referendum and … the results will be affected," he said. "This will ultimately lead to non recognition not only by the Sudan government but by the whole international community."

Two SPLM officials confirmed anonymously to Reuters news agency that the party had told southerners in the north not to register.